Wednesday, February 2, 2011

On the Hunt for a Crystal Skull

posted by NancyI'm happy to have bestselling author Jessica Andersen back in the Lair. Jessica is the author of the hot, enthralling paranormal romance Nightkeeper series. She has also written more than twenty category romantic suspense novels, which have been nominated for the RITA award and RT Reviewers Choice award.

Today she'll tell us about her Nightkeepers-related novella, CRYSTAL SKULL, in the new On the Hunt anthology.

Welcome, Jessica!

Hey, Banditas, and thanks for having me out again to talk about running, screaming, sex, the end of the world, Mayan archaeology, and more sex ;-) This week I’m celebrating the release of CRYSTAL SKULL, the first (and only) novella in the Nightkeepers’ series, which is part of ON THE HUNT, a fabulous anthology with stories also from Gena Showalter, Shannon K Butcher and Deidre Knight.

Without further ado, on to the questions!

Who are the Nightkeepers, and how does this story fit within their continuity?

The Nightkeepers are the last survivors of an ancient race of magi sworn to protect us from the doomsday foretold for 12/21/2012. But as we get closer and closer to the end date and the danger ramps up, the Nightkeepers are desperate for reinforcements.

CRYSTAL SKULL falls outside the main storylines of the Nightkeeper books, but it feeds into the next big book, STORM KISSED, which will be out in June 2011. So if you’ve never read a Nightkeeper book before, you can totally pick up CRYSTAL SKULL without missing anything … but if you’re a Nightkeeper fan, you’ll get a couple of the inside jokes.

What's your personal grounding in Mayan culture?

When I was an annoyingly bright little kid (you know, the kind who finished the year’s work in the first few weeks, got bored, and started disrupting class), the school was more than happy for my parents to take me away for a few weeks every spring, down to the Yucatan. I kept a journal and did a presentation when I got back, and each year I got to talk about a different set of ruins we’d been to. Those experiences have always stuck with me, and I try to bring the sense of wonder I felt back then to the books as I write them now.

Who are the hero and heroine?

The hero, JT, is both a protector and a loner. He’s been down in the rainforests of the former Mayan Empire for years, fighting vampire demons who are coming through one specific ruin. When gorgeous lady archaeologist named Natalie rolls into town, JT convinces the locals to let her team excavate, hoping to find the hellmouth the vamps are coming through. He never expects to fall for her, though … or to discover that they’re connected by far more than scorching chemistry.

Can we see an excerpt?

Sure thing!! Here goes …

The instincts Natalie had been ignoring suddenly lashed at her, through her, bringing images of jaguars and the recent livestock kills in the area. She was a woman alone, unarmed. Stupid move, Nat. Her heart lurched into her throat as she lunged for the Jeep, and the weapon within it.

She was a few paces short of the vehicle when a dark blur erupted from the greenery and slammed into her, sending her crashing into the side of the Jeep and then down. High-pitched squeals battered her eardrums, making her head ring, and she screamed as a dark-furred, red-eyed creature leaned over her, its batlike face splitting into a three-cornered leer of moist, inhuman hunger that she had seen before, carved in stone.

Camazotz!

Instead of arms, it had elongated wings with tattered sails and wickedly barbed claws at the ends of the bony struts. Its dark brown, almost black skin was covered with patches of mismatching fur, and it smelled terrible, like a rotting animal carcass. The miasma brought tears, though not before she saw up close and personal that it was male.

Panicked, she tried to worm her way under the Jeep, screaming, “Help me!”

A pair of claws hooked her arm, dragged her out. Pain slashed through her. Terror. Sobbing, she kicked at the creature, but caught only air as it hauled her upright, screeching almost above the level of her hearing.

Its mouth split wide, revealing a black cavern of a throat framed by long, curved teeth.

“Help!” Natalie thrashed against the creature’s hold. She was all alone, in the middle of nowhere, JT wasn’t home, and—

Automatic gunfire slammed out of the nearby forest and into the bat creature.

The bullets ripped into the thing’s upper body, blowing back a spray of blackish blood and chunks. The creature reeled and dropped her. But incredibly, horribly, it spun toward the new threat as black ichor rained down from its wounds.

Seeing the flash of a weapon and the curve of a man’s shoulder in the forest, Natalie scrambled up and screamed, “Kill it!”

“Get down!”

She flung herself flat as a heavy thump split the air and a fist-size missile caught the creature in the midsection and then detonated. Hot, oily black sprayed and the thing flew backward and went down in a limp mass.

“Oh, God. Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God.” Natalie lurched to her feet as her rescuer emerged from the rain forest, cradling a big double-barrel across his body.

On one level she recognized JT; she knew his voice, knew the way he moved. On another level, though, the man who stepped out of the shadows and into the fading sunlight was a stranger.

The JT she knew was clean shaven, well dressed, a strangely urbane oasis in the middle of the tropical wilderness. The JT who faced her now shared the same powerful five-ten frame, skull trim, and cool gray eyes. But he wore several days’ worth of scruff and hard-used bush clothes, and his body was strung bandolier-style with an arsenal of weapons and ammo. He carried himself with the tough purpose of a soldier, moving on the soundless feet of a hunter. And he had just saved her butt.

He once told her the guns in his foyer were for hunting the occasional man-eater among the big cats in the area. Now she knew different.

“Chan camazotz,” she whispered the nickname the villagers used for him. Death-bat killer. She had thought it was a metaphor.

Apparently not.

His eyes were hard and hot, almost feral. “Did he get you?”

A harsh, ugly sob ripped itself from her chest. “That was . . . It was . . . Oh, JT!” She flung herself at him.

He caught her, his arms banding around her with crushing force. Relief poured through her as she burrowed into him, feeling the solid strength of his muscles and the way her body fit against his. His warmth surrounded her, and his voice rasped as he said her name, over and over again, into her hair. At first she thought she was shaking with fear and shock. Then she realized she wasn’t the one shaking.

“JT?” She pulled away a little so she could look up at him. “What—”

He interrupted her with a kiss.

There was nothing soft or urbane about his lips on hers this time, nothing civilized about the way he crushed her mouth with his, the way he gripped her. But she was suddenly hanging onto him just as hard.

What's up next for the Nightkeepers?

STORM KISSED is next up—it’s the story of the strongest and toughest of the magi to date: big, bad Snake Mendez, who prefers to be called Dez and may or may be a new man since his release from prison and selection as a super-powerful Triad mage. He’s got one soft spot, though, in the form of former bounty hunter Reese Montana, who was his first and only love … and was responsible for his incarceration. These two have some serious chemistry going for them, along with some major issues. And can you say hot? Wheee….

Anyway, thanks so much for having me on today, Banditas! Best of luck rooster hunting, and I’ll see you in the comments!

We love having you! Wow, that looks hot! And the cover is red, in keeping with our theme this month. How handy . *g*

Jessica is giving away one copy of ON THE HUNT, signed by her but not the other authors, and a copy of: 2012 End of the World Calendar. This is the description she sent me of the calendar:The Last Calendar You Will Ever OwnA 23.97 month calendar packed with digital artwork from all over the world. Features a countdown to the End of the World, prophecies, and information regarding December 21, 2012. Any theories or predictions you may have heard are explained here: Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Time Wave Zero, Webbot, Pole Shift, World War III, The Bible, Solar Flares, Gamma Ray Bursts, Global Warming, Cataclysm, Planet X, Hopi Prophecy, Dead Sea Scrolls, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Rapture, and much more.

This calendar is HUGE! There are 52 pages total and it measures 12x12 which opens up to 12x24. Ironically printed on Eco Friendly paper, and coated with Matte Aqueous (AQ) Coating for protection. There is no other calendar out there quite like this. It's the perfect holiday gift for any 2012 enthusiast.

So tell us, would you go searching the jungle for a rare artifact, or would you rather search via Google? Who's your favorite fictional archaeologist? Who's your favorite Nightkeeper or winnikin? Feel free to ask Jessica any questions that come to mind, too.

Don't forget to check out the Healthy Heart tip and free book opportunity below.

The healthy heart tip for February 2 is: Quality time is one of the most meaningful gifts. Bundle up and plan an active outing such as sledding, ice skating, gathering wood for a fire, or if you’re feeling adventurous, visit an indoor rock wall.

Go Red for Women on February 4

Romance Writers of America and the American Heart Association have partnered to raise awareness of heart disease in women and encourage you to join us in wearing red on February 4, National Wear Red Day®. Visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/ to learn how to fight heart disease.

And just in case you missed it....

Sign Up for the Go Red BetterU Program and Receive Two Free Romance Novel E-Books

From Feb. 1 through May 31, 2011, receive one free romance novel e-book when you sign up for the American Heart Association's BetterU Program and one after you complete week six of the program. And look for the Eat Smart for Your Heart limited-edition magazine (that features this offer) on newsstands and in a grocery store near you.To sign up for the BetterU program, visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/betteru/index.aspx.(Go Red For Women is trademarked by the American Heart Association, Inc. Romance novel downloads provided by Belle Books.)

105 comments:

Thanks for visiting with us again, Jessica! Loved the excerpt. I have to say though, I hope 2012 isn't the end of it all, because I've already started scheduling into 2013 ;)As for searching... well, it depends on what. If looking for insects, reptiles, diseases etc, google is my friend. If it's say a gorgeous artifact, that I get to *keep* ... then I'd be motivated to head into the jungle. As for questions... hopefully I'll think of some after I get some sleep :X Congratulations on the new novella and the upcoming novel! Love the title Storm Kissed :D

Second- Jessica, thanks for sharing that delicious excerpt. Nothing like a little action and romance.

Finally for my answer to the question: My favorite archaeologist is of course, Indiana Jones! Who doesn't like seeing Harrison Ford throw on that hat, and the whip.. whoo! The adventures and the treasures. Yes, if I was well trained in some martial arts and a little wilderness survival I would be on the first plane, boat, or train to hunt down that lost treasure lurking out there. I would definitely be tagging along with Indiana... can we say the Last Crusaders adventure. Yee-Haw!!!

I love the cover for Storm Kissed and what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good cover so I'm going to check out the books and the series. Plus since I can't start a series from the middle, I'll start from the beginning.

@ limecello- CONGRATS on the rooster!! And thanks for the welcome, and the props on the title. STORM KISSED is actually one of the few of my thirty-some books that I actually titled myself. (I'm rather title challenged, but am lucky that my editors have great instincts in that department!)

@ Slush- Glad you liked the excerpt and heck-to-the-yes on Indy. Give me a fedora, a bullwhip and a decent leather jacket any day- YUM!

@ Sheree- LOL on the running water. I think I'm between you and Slush; I love the idea of hieinng off into the jungle after adventure, but when it comes to actually planning something like that, I start thinking, "Wait, where do I plug in my white noise generator? And there are, like, bugs out there, right? Hm...."

@ Daz- Hi, and thanks for the shout out! Glad the cover caught your eye, and I hope you'll check out the series- I think you'll find that the cover gods have been very kind to these books ;-)

@ Cath- Hey, nice to see you here! Glad the covers meet with your approval :)

Okay, since Indiana Jones is the obvious choice, anyone want to name their favorite scene? I'm a big fan of when the bad guy gets all whirlygig with his sword and Indy just shrugs and shoots him.

I think of that sometimes when I'm writing and realize that I'm about to have a character do something more because it'd make things exciting than because it's the most logical response. It's sort of the Indiana Jones derivative of Occam's razor.

@ Maureen- Thanks for stopping by! And, yes, the authors in the anthology are all talented writers and excellent human beings. The four stories aren't connected to each other, but they're all about demon hunting in some form or another. Rwor!

Congrads on the rooster LImecello !!!!and Jessica I Loved the excerpt !! and cover is reall hawt !! and A lil action and romance never goes astray ! and the title Storm kissed !!! Its def appealing ;) Congrads on the novella and upcoming novel :)mm What would I search for in the jungle ... * a youthful plant extract - or a tree of life ;) Imagine a plant that can help cure anything !! *I am normally a google girl !! but hey a little adventure is what a girl needs sometimes;) I havent read your series but have added to my lil black book ;) kat kittee_cat@bigpond.com

Jess, big fan, love your books, was happily surprised to learn of this one. Can't go wrong with those other authors, either. And somehow, your FB page advertising this blog had a picture of Russell Crowe, so I'd like to thank you for that, too!

@ Katrina- Ooh, I like the idea of searching for a 'magical' plant like that. Hm... I'll take the fountain of youth, plus a side of 'one more hour in the day'!

@ Kristan- (waves) LOL on the Russel Crowe moment. I was clicking through the thumbnails, lingered on a couple showing yummy desserts, and then got to that one and said, "Sold!"

@ Devon- *Knuckle tap* on loving Jade and Lucius. I would have a fling with any of the Nightkeeper males, but Lucius is the one I would marry. Assuming he wasn't totally gone on Jade, that is. ;-)

@ Eilis- Ling anth = very cool! Thanks for the shout out!

@ Deseree- Glad you enjoyed the excerpt. Inspiration ... hmmm ... I'd say that I'm always open to things that make me sit up and say 'ooh, that's cool!' I think the more open you are to new ideas (i.e., not being totally married to a synopsis or a story board), the more you'll find inspiration all around.

Raiders: The scene where Indy and his dad are trying to escape from the German House. From the start to the finish. I loved it when Sean Connery had the umbrella and got the birds to fly away attacking the plane.

Skull: The scene where Indiana is reunited with Marion. I always knew they belonged together.

We used to enjoy Digging for the Truth, with Josh Bernstein going all over the world to explore myths and legends. Sometimes he was in the jungle. He wasn't an archaeologist, but he talked to a bunch of them.

Katrina, there was a movie some years back--starring Sean Connery, I think--that involved searching the rain forest for a particular medicinal plant. The details are hazy, but it seemed like a cool quest.

Hey Jess! GREAT to see you back in the Lair! *waving madly* Can't wait to catch up with you in NY.

You know I've been a huge fan of your writing since your first Intrigue (no bias, honest!). I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Nightkeepers series. I'm not normally one for paranormals, but I knew yours would be worth it - and they are.

So glad to hear there is a novella to keep us going until Storm Kissed *g*.

TO answer your questions, I must admit to loving Indy. Raiders is still one of my favourite films.

I'd love to have the nerve to hunt in the jungles, but the reality is I'm a wimp *g*.

Favourite Nightkeeper character? Jeez - ask an easy one why don't you?! That's like asking who your favourite Suz Brockmann character is! I adore Rabbit - I have a big soft spot for him. The one who took a piece of my heart was Michael. Shame he's already taken because I'd be happy to help him heal *g*.

Hi, Anna--You know I'm always on the lookout for a good paranormal. One of the things I love about the Nightkeepers is that the paranormal elements are integral to the story. They aren't just window dressing.

So tell us, would you go searching the jungle for a rare artifact, or would you rather search via Google? I'd stick with the Google.Who's your favorite fictional archaeologist? Indiana Jones, of course.

@ Jenn- LOL. Okay, one more for the 'find the artifact' bus! To answer your Q, I'm working on Sven's book right now, and love, love, loving it!

@ Jeanne- Good luck on the edits, and YES to Amelia! Not to mention that's one of the few first person narratives I can really get into. I love how Peters shows us Amelia's occasional daftness through her eyes even while she's utterly convinced she's a hundred percent right. That takes some mad skillz!

Welcome Back Jessica....Ahhhh It was so nice of you to bring us a book of "Adventure"...LOL Looks Y-U-M-M-Y!!!!!!

as for the question..Give me some deet and some hiking boots and lets go baby!!!!Oh but by NO means forget that I will require a hottie to be my guide....tan,muscluar,tussled hair....nothing major.....lol

*knuckle tap* back...surviving. We got a snow day, and I get a chance to hang out on the computer while they do activities, at least until it's my turn to supervise one. This must be a prime writing day for you, Doc Jess. It feels like summer when I get days like this. Happy writing, my friend!!!

You're a new-to-me author so I amnot familiar with Nightkeepers. The archeologist, fictional or otherwise, I think of right now is Indiana Jones. I've only seen bits & pieces of his movies. But I do like Harrison Ford, does that count for anything? As forsearches I'm not into the wilder-ness thing, it's usually Googleand me! One other thing I like isyour excerpt, in fact, I loved it!

I first discovered Jessica and subsequently her Nightkeepers a while back when she visited The Lair (She was engaging one of the cabana boys asking if he wanted to see some ruins) and I've been a Nightkeeper fan ever since!

My fav Nightkeeper is Lucius who, I realize isn't a TRUE Nightkeeper, but he has what they need so he counts. And can't wait for Rabbit's story.

Dez is gonna be interesting. We don't know a LOT about him so he's mysterious...and hot from the looks of that cover!!!

Holy moly I hope everyone is staying warm and/or dry! Right now I'd love to be trekking through a steaming hot jungle looking for artifacts! Who am I kidding - I'd be perched up on a big flat rock with some cocoa butter and a cold beer!

Welcome back to the lair, Jessica! Congrats on the novella - I love your Nightkeepers series so I'll definitely have to check out Crystal Skull *g*

No way would I go searching in the jungle for an artifact - rare or not *g* Although I have been known to trek through the wild woods of Pennsylvania in search of blackberries. Obviously I live for danger :-)

Personally, I would rather go on the trip than Google. I've always wanted to visit Egypt and Rome and more recently, Chichen Itza. Of course, my favorite archaeologist is: Dr. Henry Jones, Sr. Yeah, yeah, I love Indy but I've got a soft spot for Sean Connery :) And my favorite Nightkeeper? It's really a tie between Strike and Rabbit. Strike was my first Nightkeeper love so he's super special and Rabbit, he tries so hard, bless his heart, you can't help but root for him. =) Thank you for the lovely article!

@ Trish- Hey! (waves) Thanks for the shout out! And yeah, I was one of those kids who wanted to be an archaeologist ... so I'm compensating by writing about one :)

@ Gail- Thanks, girlfriend! Hope you're surviving another snow day!

(I just typo'ed that 'snot day'. Which, I suppose, has some merit too...)

@ Jo- Hey back, and thanks for the shout out! I love using personal experiences in the books. I think it brings an authenticity that you just can't get even from interviews, yanno? Though don't get me wrong--I'm a big fan of Google-fu, too :)

@ Crystal- Thanks for the shout out. I'm so pleased to see that Strike has lots of fans! He might not be as flashy as some of the others, but he's a solid guy and a real man's man, and I'd follow him any day. (The good rear view wouldn't be a hardship, either.)

@ Blodeuedd- Mmmm... hats and whips ... :)

@ Minna- Great to see you again, and thanks for the visit!

@ Danielle- Yay for another Lucius 'shipper! There's just something about a hot geek...

@ BJ- Seriously, how did it take us this long to accessorize our trip into the jungle with a hottie guide! BJ for the win on that one!

@ Paula- Glad you're surviving your day of cat herding! Yep, I've gotten some good writing done, among other things. Sven's story is shaping up!

@ Joan- Bwa ha ha, join me on the dark side of Nightkeeper fandom! LOL- kidding. Thanks for checking out the books, and I'm glad we met here at the Lair. You can't have Cyrus (my cabana boy) back, though. I'm not quite through with him ... ;-)

@ Lulu- Oooh, you're a stronger woman than yours truly--I don't have the willpower to wait on series. Then, of course, I wind up slavering for the next installment ... Thanks for having them on tap for '12!

I really enjoy hearing about 2012 and the Inca prophecy. I have two of your books and am just a bit confused as to the order. I know you have a book 1, 2 and 3 - then do we read them as you have written them? And I'd love to go searching for artifacts and it wouldn't hurt to have Indiana Jones go with me lol.

Jessica said: @ Jeanne- Good luck on the edits, and YES to Amelia! Not to mention that's one of the few first person narratives I can really get into. I love how Peters shows us Amelia's occasional daftness through her eyes even while she's utterly convinced she's a hundred percent right. That takes some mad skillz!

Too right! I'm not big on first person narratives either, and I just love Amelia. And Emerson. And Ramses. I stopped somewhere along the continuum, but I plan to search out all my copies of Amelia, read them, then move forward with all the "new" ones. Grins.

And I share you appreciation of Peters's "mad skillz" at showing Amelia both through her eyes and with an eye to showing her foibles as well. Brill!

I would definitely go in search of an archaeological artifact - the more dangerous and exciting and historical the find the better! I don't mind snakes or lizards and the only bugs I hate are mosquitoes, but I would brave some giant B-52 Louisiana swamp mosquitoes for a really great archaeological find!

Gotta go with Indiana Jones, but Zoe Archer's archaeologists give him a run for his money!

Jeanne, I like first person, but I think a lot of romance readers don't. I even discovered I can read 1st person, present tense, which surprised me because 3rd person, present tense, totally throws me out of a story. But I'd read a couple of pages of this other book in 1st person before I even realized it was present tense.

I love Jessica's world--and kudos for all that world building!! But for me, I'd rather google it. I'm not one to go digging around for rare artifacts, mainly because the locations are usually somewhere hot (which I don't enjoy) with snakes (which I definitely don't enjoy) and bugs (which I don't prefer). Googling can be done in A/C with probably a degree more success most days. Better food. No snakes. No malaria.

As for my favorite fictional version--I immediately thought of Indiana Jones. Does he count?

@ Beth- LOL on DangerBeth and her blackberries. Hey, those thorns can get awful nasty, never mind the hornets!

@ Liz- Hey, lady! I'm with you on wanting to visit Egypt, though will admit I'd be wanting to wayback it to the early Amelia Peabody days to do so. Thanks for the shout out, and stay warm/dry!

@ catslady- The stories can be read in any order you like, but you'll probably get the most out of them if you read them in the order I wrote them: Nightkeepers, Dawnkeepers, Skykeepers, Demonkeepers, Blood Spells and now the novella.

@ Paula- LOL- 'cat herding' refers to the futility of trying to organize things that don't want to be organized-- like cats ... or kids on a snow day. Go to youtube and search 'cat herding commercial' and there's a great superbowl commercial on the topic. One of my favorites :)

@ GiJenn- Thank you for the Kindle order! I hope you love the stories :)

@ Joan- I just need Cyrus for a few more days, pleeease? We've got a post-Groundhog Day celebration planned ... ;-)

@ Jeanne- I'll admit that I fell off the Amelia books after Rameses and Nefret got together. I'll have to go back and catch up, though, as I think I've had enough of a break. I'm still partial to the first few, though.

@ Aunty Cindy- Well, don't beat yourself up too much. Cyrus got his twin brother, Cyril, to sub in for him. 'Ril isn't quite as good with the back rubs (or so I'm told), but I'm sure he's been filling in just fine ... ;-)

@ Louisa- I've got the Archer books on my TBR pile--gotta wait until I'm done with this series before I dive in, though, to keep my own thoughts in line. I've heard they're quite good, though!

@ MsHellion- Yep, Indy most definitely counts! Thanks for the shout out, and for saying hi!

Jessica said: @ Jeanne- I'll admit that I fell off the Amelia books after Rameses and Nefret got together. I'll have to go back and catch up, though, as I think I've had enough of a break. I'm still partial to the first few, though.

Heehee. Same here. I was actually going to say that, but I couldnt' remember Nefret's name and was too lazy to go look it up. Hahah! Like you, I think I've had enough of a break to go back and start the series up again. :>

I think I'd rather Google the rare artifact, it's a lot quicker and less dirty, LOL. My fav fictional archaeologist is Indiana Jones, of course. I don't have a fav Nightkeeper since I haven't had a chance to start the Nightkeepers books yet.I enjoy anthologies, and On the Hunt sounds great, what a great group of authors.

Great excerpt! I'll be putting that on my TBR list. Thanks! I'm really enjoying my current book called "The Scorpion's Bite"(author Aileen G. Baron). It's about a Middle Eastern archaeologist who works for the OSS during WW II. I hope it rains all weekend so I can read, read, read!

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Donna MacMeans, Trish Milburn, and Nancy Northcott will all be in Atlanta for the Moonlight and Magnolias conference in Decatur, Georgia September 30 through October 2nd. If you're in the area, stop by for the booksigning. We'd love to see you.

Redeeming the Rogue by Donna MacMeans received a 4.5 star TOP PICK! review from Romantic Times Magazine.

Living in Color by Trish Milburn is now available on Kindle, Smashwords and at barnesandnoble.com for the Nook.